


Discovery

by Saree



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 15:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6860557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saree/pseuds/Saree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Is it really okay to just keep doing what they tell me?' One-shot, exploring Riku's childhood, heavy on headcanon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Discovery

The first time he’d abandoned his piano lesson, he’d come home covered in mud with the biggest smile on his face.

It didn’t compare to the huge shriek his mother let out upon seeing mud tracks on pristine carpet, leading up the stairwell. Riku had understood that the banishment to his room and thorough washing had been because he’d broken a rule (a few rules) but he hadn’t understood why the piano lesson had been so important.

“Sweetie,” his mother had crouched before him as he sat perched on the edge of his bed, far too big for just one child. Her beautiful, platinum-blond hair was curled into a tight bun, and she took his hands, and he couldn’t help but notice how shiny and neat her nails were. “Sweetie,” she beckoned, a little firmer this time to hold his attention. “We have a reputation to maintain, okay? So we’re counting on you to uphold it, just like your brother. You’re old enough now to do that.”

He’d known, since he was born, that his family was... _different_. He’d known it the first day of school when he’d walked to the towering structure on his own, seeing a father and daughter toddle nearby. She declared her excitement for school a few times on their way, and for most of the walk, Riku wondered if girls had different uniforms--she wore a white shirt and a sky-blue skirt with shiny mary jane shoes, while he had a dark grey blazer with red piping and red trousers with spit-shined loafers.

He understood when they came to an intersection, and the father and daughter turned left, while he turned right.

“Daddy, daddy,” she bounced, seeing the public school in the distance. “I’m glad you came with me!”

The man chuckled. “Of course,” he leaned to kiss her head. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Riku stood still, watching the two over his shoulder, even when they were out of earshot and had disappeared into the school gates.

 _Why isn’t my dad here?_ he wondered idly, to answer his own question. _He’s too busy. You know that._

Heading to the towering private school, Riku gained reputation quickly. _He’s a part of the Yamamoto family,_ they would whisper, tittering and ushering themselves away from him.

When he would ask why that was a problem to his older brother of four years, Aki just scoffed and threw his shoulders back. “They’re just jealous ‘cause our family’s the best,” he said, tilting his chin up into the air, moving his rook.

“Why are we the best?” Riku asked.

Aki paused before just shrugging. “Just ‘cause we are. I mean, our house is one of the biggest, and we go to the best school. Plus, dad’s a _Captain_. Not a lotta people can say that!”

Riku had nodded, and beat Aki in two more moves.

Riku met Sora on the way home to school. He’d stopped to see a boy in a white shirt and sky-blue shorts stare down at this lunchbox forlornly.

He wasn’t sure what’d prompted him to invite him over, but he had. Riku had held Sora’s hand the entire time, afraid the younger boy might just wander off with how flighty he seemed to be, so taken with all of the other neighbor’s houses (something about how big they were? He was reminded of Aki’s words.)

“Huh?” Sora tilted his head as he watched Riku pick up the welcome mat, picking up a silver key and unlocking the door.

“What?” Riku glanced behind him at the brunet, who just peered into the house.

“How come no one’s home?”

“My mom’s still at work... and my brother’s still at practice,” he said, walking in after making sure his shoes were clean. “So it’s just me for a while.”

Sora made an impressed sound. “All on your own! You’re super cool, Riku!”

Riku scratched his cheek, awkward but _pleased_. Cool, huh?

Heading into the polished kitchen, Riku took it upon himself to cook them two hot dogs and two sandwiches, hoping that would be enough for Sora, though he seemed bowled over that Riku was cooking on his own.

“My mom never lets me near the stove,” he whined.

Riku laughed. “What’s the matter, you burn yourself?”

“No,” Sora answered sullenly. “I’m super careful!”

He laughed harder, for Sora to just pout at him through the meal, at least until he spotted the piano in the living room through the door of the kitchen.

“Whoa, is that a real piano?!” he boggled, getting up and wandering over, his food forgotten. Riku swallowed his sandwich with haste as he followed Sora, watching him peer at the keys with earnest wonder, and he just tilted his head.

“Y’wanna play?”

“Do I!”

Riku smiled, pulling off the sheet covering the keys and beckoning Sora to sit with him, before he started to play, a sweet and gentle melody echoing through the living room with practiced grace. He paused, though, after a moment or two, peering at Sora.

Sora, staring at him in surprise, flustered. “Huh?”

“Aren’t you gonna play?” Riku tilted his head.

“Oh, right! Um...” Sora looked down at the keys, and tried to mimic Riku’s flow, though his fingers were clumsy. Furthermore, Riku couldn’t pinpoint any kind of music it sounded like, but Sora’s concentrated frown turned into a big smile as the music came out.

Even when all it was, Riku was certain, was a kid smashing keys they didn’t know anything about.

Sora breathed a little heavily in his exertion from trying to play, and then beamed at Riku. “Done!”

Riku just blinked at him, stunned. “Why’re you so happy?”

The brunet scratched his head. “I dunno, I just think I’m really glad to play around with my new friend. I dunno anything about piano, but it’s really cool you can actually play it, Riku! It’s amazing! You must really love the piano! Are you gonna be a pianist when you--”

The front door opened then, and Aki stepped in to stare at the two children at the piano, before coolly saying that Riku should probably say goodbye to his friend.

He’d been reluctant, but had done so, making sure that Sora took what he hadn’t eaten with him with a little wave.

“Lesson one,” Aki sighed, leaning against the wall. “You’re a part of this family. You don’t invite public school kids over.”

“Why not?” Riku frowned, moving over to the piano to replace the cloth and close it up.

Aki scoffed, following. “‘ _Why not_ ’? C’mon, Riku, gimme a break. You’re gonna be the town _leader_ one day, you’re not supposed to have friends like that. They aren’t gonna help you!”

“Well,” Riku hunched his shoulders, fingers curled into fists. “He doesn’t have to help me, I can help him!”

“Not how it works,” Aki denied him immediately. “Quit coloring outside the lines for once and just listen to the people who actually know what the real world’s like. Do what we tell you.”

‘Do what we tell you’ wasn’t a new word or phrase. Every lesson on manners, bookended with smacks to his palms when he didn’t perform perfectly, was littered with them. Most of his questions were given the same answer. _You’ll understand when you’re older. This is for your future. You’ll thank us when you’re older._

Riku was so tired of hearing it.

Saturday came, and his mother ushered him out, telling him to go to his piano lesson.

Riku took his sheet music and started to go down the street, before he felt a burst of air past him, and he turned sharply to see Sora with two other children wheel past them, Sora at the back of the pack as he was being pulled along by a blond kid on skates.

“Hey, Riku! You should come to the beach!” Sora called, hands around his mouth. “We’re gonna row to the play island!”

Riku watched as Sora became smaller and smaller, and they turned towards an opening that lead to the beach.

He looked down at his sheet music, and then back up to the end of the street, and then to his family’s house. Sora’s voice echoed in his mind, making his chest hurt.

_You must really love the piano!_

He didn’t. He never had. He didn’t love the lessons on manners or ballroom dancing or island history.

_Are you gonna be a pianist?_

No. That had never been an option. He didn’t want to, anyway.

Riku turned, knowing it was getting late. His mom would be upset if he missed this again. He’d be late to his lesson if he didn’t go now...

 _Is it really okay to just keep doing what they tell me?_ he thought, though his own thoughts seemed foreign as he stared down at his sheet music. _Isn't there something I'd like to do, more than this?_

Why couldn’t he be more like Sora?

What if he just...

_What do I want?_

Riku carefully folded up his sheet music.

He wouldn’t get dirty. He’d practice more, be even better at the piano than he was... Riku peered up to the end of the street over his shoulder, before turning, and running towards the beach.

He didn’t want to be a town leader, he didn’t want the path his parents had already laid out for him--not exactly.

Out of breath as he arrived on the beach, he waved to the trio. Sora grinned, racing over to hug him. “C’mon!” he pulled at Riku’s wrist, and pointed to the man at the head of the boat. “My dad’s gonna bring us out to the play island! You gotta come!”

“Yeah,” Riku felt his face hurt from smiling so wide. “I’ll come.”

He wanted to protect these people, he wanted to protect Sora--and anyone like him. As he climbed in, he said a shy hi to Sora’s father before they rowed out, feeling his heart beat wildly in his chest.

He wanted to explore. He wanted to see beyond the tiny piece of home he knew, past the lessons and prep school and confines of his house.

He wanted to follow his heart. Like Sora.

**Author's Note:**

> I rarely post things like this on here, since most of it is not even close to strict canon. It is, however, harder to organize things on Dreamwidth or Tumblr, so here we are. I hope you enjoyed, even if it's 99% headcanon. As the beta/alpha for Dance While You Can, I am responsible for giving Kawree some insights on Riku, but there are some that pertain to the story that can't be shown, so I decided to write a bit on a pretty important event in Riku's life. If you haven't, please check that fic out!


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